I only ever consider a day my “alone time” if my cellphone doesn’t buzz with calls regarding my work. And that only ever happens during a holiday. However, this week, I was able to get two days off and I was truly happy! I woke up really late and spent all morning lounging in bed. I walked around the house with my pajamas and my disheveled hair. And I watched TV all day long. The only thing I have ever spent effort to during my alone time was to bake these really delicious basil crackers.

I found this recipe a long time ago, but it was only a few days ago when I was able to try it. It’s a bit easier to make than most breads and it smelled so good too! You can buy this at the store, but nothing could compare to homemade crackers, believe me. Just the smell alone was different. This smelled so good most especially while they were baking. When I took them out of the oven, the whole house was filled with their aroma. It relaxed me a bit too. I spent the next free day munching on these beauties and I have no regrets! Check out the recipe on the next page!

Photo and recipe courtesy of Confessions of a Confectionista.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Serve with tea or milk.

Aunt Marge knows when to make her succumb and she will never have the choice but to say yes. By “she” I mean Lizzie. And Lizzie is my favorite cousin. Lizzie and I have a lot of things in common and that includes our taste in music, our taste in food, our taste in guys, and even our taste in clothes. The only difference between the two of us is that I am still quite scared of my parents and she isn’t. She was a bit of a rebel when we were young. Not really the “I’ll-break-my-parents-hearts” type of rebel, but more like she doesn’t really go with the norm. She didn’t wear skirts, which her sisters always wore. She never learned how to cook because that wasn’t what she wanted to do. She never listened to anyone except to herself.

Aunt Marge and her husband have long since stopped asking her to do things. But whenever they needed to, she has a secret weapon in hand—her potatoes au gratin. Other than the fact that Lizzie loved potatoes, Aunt Marge’s version was to die for, I swear! I almost asked her to adopt me until I remembered that I would miss Mom’s fruit pies and meat stews. Whenever Aunt Marge served Lizzie her favorite dish in the whole world, she could make her do anything. Even if it’s to wear the loveliest purple gown in her sister’s wedding.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Confessions of a Confectionista.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: You can substitute some ingredients with your preferred ones.

I was cleaning my attic last weekend when I came across what I used to call “memory book”. It was an old one, maybe about ten-years-old. I love doing crafts like that. Instead of just compiling the photos just like a photo album, I love writing the stories. It’s in the stories where the memories that came with the photos are preserved. I have about a dozen new scrapbooks in my study, all of them containing memories with friends and family. This one though belonged to my old archive, which I stored in the attic to make way for new memories.

I came upon one picnic photo that I had with the family years ago. It was a picnic beside a lake near our hometown. It was just us family—my parents, my brother, his wife, my niece, and I. My niece was just about two-years-old. In the photo, my niece’s cheeks were smudged with something gooey and sticky, which I now remembered as cheese. My sister-in-law fed her with a small chunk of Mom’s famous stuffed chicken. She seemed to like it so she snatched the piece and stuffed it in her mouth. Well, I can’t fault her. Mom’s stuffed chicken are the best I’ve ever tasted until now. I remembered that they had to bathe her in the lake just to remove the stickiness all over her, causing my brother to fall head first to the lake. Ah. Good times.

Photo and recipe courtesy of the Southern Bite.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Serve with your favorite white wine.

I’m not a fan of baseball, but I always watch it with my boyfriend and his brothers. I know a few basic terms, but if you ask me what is the most familiar term to me, it’s probably “homerun” and I intend no pun. I have gone to a few baseball games with them, and while I don’t understand all of the rules, I know how it works. Tyler, one of his brothers, has a dream of becoming a pro so he is working hard to make that dream come true. And his family supports him all the way.

During baseball nights, it’s Tyler who’s assigned to cook the chicken nuggets. He makes the best dressing and his brothers just gang up on him all the time. A few months ago, Tyler made his very first home run and it’s because of his chicken nuggets prowess—he batted his way straight into the heart of one of my girl friends who just happened to visit me that night. She also happened to fall in love with Tyler’s chicken nuggets. My goodness, they’re now the cutest couple ever! And it happened all because of Tyler’s “batter”, this time pun is intended.

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Southern Lady Cooks.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: The dressing keeps well for several days. Store in a container and place in the refrigerator.

Parents know that the best way to get a kiss from their child is to offer them something that will allow them to get over their “yuck-that’s-so-cheesy-Mom” attitude. Andy, my sister-in-law, knows the best way to get her daughter to hug and kiss her in front of people. She just has to promise to make her the sweetest strawberry cake and she will succumb to her mom. Another friend of mine, Celeste, always made sure that if her boys behaved in school, she would bring them to their favorite fast food chain that served the biggest burgers. None of them hesitate hugging their mother in front of everyone in school.

It works for adults, too! Whenever I feel bad, my boyfriend cooks my comfort food to cheer me up and to apologize. My best friend always bakes the best red velvet cupcakes for her husband whenever they had a fight and it’s her fault. My Mom makes the most tempting honey pork loin for Dad whenever they have a shout out and Dad gives her the silent treatment. I witnessed it once. Mom received the sweetest kiss after Dad finished a serving of his favorite food. I wish I hadn’t witnessed that, but I also have to say that food really does work wonders at times.

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Southern Lady Cooks.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Mashed potatoes can also be the perfect side dish for this recipe.

My cousin Jane had always wanted to be an exchange student. She always wanted to visit other countries and experience the life there. We’re quite similar. We both wanted to experience new culture, learn new language, and feel the freedom of being able to journey to the other side of the world. Jane actually had that opportunity while we were still in high school. We were both members of the school paper, but while I was the editor, she was one of our field journalists. It’s the exact same reason why she was able to be considered for such an opportunity.

One of the things that would decide her grant was a live demo interview with her family. The committee had said that when it came to news, it shouldn’t matter whether you’re interviewing a family member or not. You always have to be professional. During one of our gatherings, two members of the committee were invited. They gave Jane a scenario and Jane had to interview any of us based on the scenario. I thought she did quite well, but she was still nervous. After the demo, the committee didn’t say anything. Jane’s Mom graciously offered them chili pie while they were evaluating Jane at one of the corner tables. They left the gathering with nothing but a thank you for the pie. A couple of weeks later, Jane was granted the chance to fly to Europe for the program. She was happy. She didn’t care whether it was because of her talent or the chili pie. I voted for her talent. But the chili pie must have had a part in it.

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Southern Lady Cooks.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Serve with a crusty bread or a side of salad.

There’s nothing more comforting then a good flavorful meatloaf and mashed potato dinner, am I right?! But there’s a few secrets to get it to be that winner loaf that is worthy of sharing with all your friends and family. This recipe isn’t titled “Secret Ingredient Meatloaf” for no reason!

Behold the secret weapon to a meatloaf masterpiece: bloody mary mix. WHAT?! Yes, you heard me right. This ingredient adds that zesty tanginess that makes all the difference in your meat. Make this once and you’ll never go back to your old version again! Trust me!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Southern Bite

PLEASE CONTINUE TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR A LIST OF INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Instead of using a loaf pan, cook your meatloaf in a 9×13 pan to allow browning on all 3 sides, rather than just the top! Also, the grease drains away easily.